Superintendent Presents Proposed $32.5 Million Fiscal 2013 Budget

At the Jan. 3 School Committee meeting, Superintendent Paul Stein presented a proposed $32.5 million fiscal 2013 budget, which he said incorporates compelling initiatives and furthers school system goals.

The proposed budget represents a $746,336, or 2.35 percent, increase over the fiscal 2012 budget.

“Even though the costs of tuition are increasing, there are savings in a number of accounts,” Stein said. “This budget really supports the goals of the school system.”

Stein said there was a shift in the way the budget has been crafted in the past, by accounting for staff turnover savings and special education tuition prepays in the budget. 

On average, Stein said, at least three teachers plus other staff leave Wayland unexpectedly each year, and by anticipating that staff turnover, $75,000 can be put into the budget as a savings.

Stein called it prudent to conservatively estimate the turnover savings and special education tuition prepay from the fiscal 2012 year-end, of $300,000.

“This is a huge shift from the way Wayland has done it in the past,” Stein said. “The here is, the funds don’t sit idle and can be used for educational services.”

Three tiers of initiatives are funded in the proposed budget, Stein said. Tier 1 includes a part-time health and wellness teacher ($44,272), which the superintendent said will help maintain class sizes and preserve a science elective for seniors; a one-to-one student computer learning initiative at the high school ($30,000); a K-12 instructional technology department chair stipend ($7,677); an elementary math preview program ($25,000), math and literacy summer programs ($35,000); and a part-time employee for English language learning ($31,623).

“These six things I think are outstanding and will move the system forward,” said Stein.

Tier 2 initiatives include a middle school math coach ($31,623), a high school exchange program with China ($23,311), part-time science and art teachers and salary fixes for building administrators ($33,133). 

Tier 3 initiatives include a part-time high school wellness teacher ($31,623), high school math lab teacher ($37,947), tutoring and after-school transportation for METCO students ($25,000), computer technician reclassification ($35,000) and an HVAC/electrician to replace contractual services (zero net).

Stein also weighed in on full-day kindergarten, saying the research is unclear whether moving to all students going to kindergarten fulltime will make enough difference academically to be sustainable over time.

Implementing the program would cost $600,000, Stein said, a cost that he did not include in the proposed fiscal 2013 budget.

“I can’t see recommending a $600,000 expenditure out of the budget,” he said. “That would completely wipe out these initiatives.”

Budget talks will continue at future School Committee meetings.